Can’t remember your car insurance company? How to find out
Last updated September 1st, 2023
You probably don’t think about your car insurer much on a day-to-day basis.
After all, unless you want to claim on your car insurance, cancel your car insurance, renew or make changes to your car insurance policy, there’s really no reason to contact them. If you have an auto-renewal policy and it’s been a year or two since you last reached out to your current provider, this is far from unusual.
Of course, when you haven’t dealt with your car insurer for a while, it’s entirely possible to forget which provider you’re with. (This is especially common among drivers who have switched providers multiple times over the years to save on their car insurance!)
If you have forgotten who you’re insured with, don’t fret. In this guide, we will cover the various methods at your disposal for identifying your current car insurance provider. We’ll also explain how to check the Motor Insurance Database (MID) to find out whether your car is insured.
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Who is my car insured with?
To find out who your car is insured with, you can use the following methods:
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Check emails
If you type terms such as ‘car insurance’, ‘policy’ and other variations into your email search bar, you might be able to find an email from your current provider that will jog your memory.
(You can also search for your vehicle registration number, as this may be referenced in your car insurer’s emails.)
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Check through your paperwork
Have a look through your filing cabinet (or the place where you keep your paperwork). You may be able to retrieve a letter or document containing your current insurer’s details.
These documents may contain other important information such as:
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The type of cover
You may have ‘comprehensive’ car insurance, a temporary car insurance policy – or third-party car insurance cover. (Read our guide ‘What are the different types of car insurance?’ to learn more.)
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Your car insurance group
Each vehicle is placed into a car insurance group (numbered from 1-50). This system (which utilises data from Thatcham Research, a not-for-profit insurer-funded research centre) is used by all UK car insurers to determine the level of financial risk associated with insuring vehicles.
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Check your bank statements
The billpayer’s bank statement should contain details of your car insurance provider. You may be able to retrieve this information from your banking app, emails or paper bank statements.
You may notice monthly or annual payments to your insurer (depending on your chosen payment plan). If you remember the cost of your policy but not the name of your provider, you might be able to figure this out by perusing your bank statements.
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Call your bank
Your bank will be able to tell you about any Direct Debit arrangements you have set up on your account, which can make it easier to identify your current car insurance provider.
Checking your car is insured
It is illegal to drive without insurance - and if caught doing so, you could receive a fixed penalty of £300 - and 6 penalty points on your licence.
Therefore, in addition to finding your car insurance provider, you should also check that your most recent policy is still valid.
To confirm whether your car is currently insured, you can check with the Motor Insurance Database (MID).
The Motor Insurance Database (MID)
Searching for your car’s registration number with the Motor Insurance Database (MID) tool will tell you whether your car has a valid insurance policy. The MID database holds records of all UK-registered cars with valid insurance. (See our guide ‘How to check if your car is insured’ for more details.)
Please note: If the MID search shows that your car does not currently have a valid car insurance policy, you should arrange appropriate insurance for your vehicle at the earliest opportunity.
By driving without valid insurance, you risk being stopped by the police, incurring fines and penalty points on your licence. The police also have powers to seize and destroy uninsured vehicles.